Is LeBron James #15 worth grading?
Basketball · Basketball Cards 2016 Panini Donruss Optic · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 6.9× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 LeBron James #15 sells for $125 against $18.19 raw: a $107 spread, 6.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($41.99) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $18.19
- PSA 10
- $125
- PSA 9
- $41.99
- Gem premium
- 6.9×
- As of
- Jul 11, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — PSA 10 | $125 | +$81.81 | +$56.81 | −$43.19 |
| PSA 9 | $41.99 | −$1.20 | −$26.20 | −$126 |
| PSA 8 | $18.57 | −$24.62 | −$49.62 | −$150 |
Net = sale price − $18.19 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.
Expected value — how often does it need to gem?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $62.74 | −$5.45 |
| 50% | $83.50 | +$15.31 |
| 75% | $104 | +$36.06 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 32%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes
All centering standards →| Grader | 10 sells for | vs best | Front centering for a 10 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $199 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $125 | −$74.45 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $75.00 | −$124 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $48.22 | −$151 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
Tolerances are each company's published centering standard for its top grade; surface, corners and edges must also be clean. Centering is the one you can measure yourself before you pay.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $125 | $75.00 | $199 | $48.22 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $46.00 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $41.99 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $18.57 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Other 2016 Panini Donruss Optic cards worth checking
Full set checklist →![LeBron James [Red] #15 2016 Panini Donruss Optic card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/W2MAAOSwJOBhKBrH/s-l500.jpg)
![Pascal Siakam [Checkerboard] #171 2016 Panini Donruss Optic card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/KjIAAOSwZZ1oNHll/s-l500.jpg)
![LeBron James [Holo] #15 2016 Panini Donruss Optic card](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/qewAAOSw~UJgMklb/s-l500.jpg)
Grading LeBron James #15 — FAQ
Is LeBron James #15 worth grading?
A PSA 10 LeBron James #15 sells for $125 against $18.19 raw: a $107 spread, 6.9× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($41.99) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 LeBron James #15 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 LeBron James #15 (Basketball Cards 2016 Panini Donruss Optic) sells for about $125 versus $18.19 for a raw near-mint copy — a 6.9× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for LeBron James #15?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $199, ahead of PSA 10 at $125. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does LeBron James #15 need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 back centering as the tolerance for a 10 (Gem Mint). Off-center copies are capped below the top grade regardless of surface — measure yours before paying the fee.
What gem rate makes grading LeBron James #15 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting LeBron James #15 breaks even when it gems about 32% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $41.99).
Is your basketball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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